American Foreign Policy POSC 313

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American Foreign PolicyPOSC 313

• The Role of the President
• and the Executive Branch

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The Imperial Presidency

• Factors that led to an imperial presidency
  post-WWII
• Constitutional responsibilities
• Customary task expansion
• Congress acquiescent
• Interest groups focus on domestic policy
• Public disinterested in foreign policy
• Bureaucratic conflicts ? increased power of NSA

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Formal Powers

• Chief Executive
• Head of State
• Commander-in-Chief
• Sign Treaties
• Nominate Personnel
• Recognize Foreign Governments

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Informal Powers

• Presidential Singularity
• Shaping Public Opinion
• World Leader
• Presidential Doctrines

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Constraints on the President

• Diverse roles
• Bureaucracy
• Prior policy precedents
• Ideology vs. Reality

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Organization of Policymaking

• Priority of foreign policy
• Key appointments
• Relative significance and status of each
  department
• Intelligence
• Never a perfect system

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Goals in Making Foreign Policy

• Maximize rational policymaking
• healthy bureaucratic conflict
• policy coherence
• sure implementation
• Avoid organizational pathologies
• excessive bureaucratic conflict
• rigid organizational routines (SOPs)
• groupthink
• too much power in one person
• too many decision-making layers
• cutting out key departments
• too much influence from Chief of Staff

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Decision-making Models

• Competitive Model
• Formalistic Model
• Collegial Model

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Competitive Model

• Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson
• Most difficult
• Competition among actors seeking to influence the
  president
• Free and open expression of diverse advice and
  analysis
• Success those that best articulate their
  positions and rebuff adversaries
• Max number of opinions reach president
• President arbiter/referee

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Competitive Model

• President exposed to max number of opinions
• Requires political skill and acumen, sense of
  confidence
• Politicians Model
• Pitfalls info overload, micromanaging
• Unlikely to be used today

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Formalistic Model

• Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan
• Promotes order, structure and discipline
• Highly structured procedures and hierarchical
  lines of reporting
• Policy options reduced as they proceed through
  the decision-making process
• Open conflict discouraged
• Efficient, but sacrifices examining all options?

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Formalistic Model

• Conditions
• Firm, hands-on management OR
• Delegate this role to NSA
• Commonly held worldview
• Reasons for adopting this model
• Military experience
• Uncomfortable around people
• Lack of intellectual curiosity
• Lack of expertise

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Collegial Model

• Kennedy, Carter, Bush I, Clinton
• Team of key advisors with varying perspectives
• Group of equals
• Team approach group problem solving
• Equality ? collegial rather than bureaucratic
  infighting
• President much have coherent worldview, keep
  discussions on appropriate level

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Collegial Model

• Conditions
• Commanding president with clear strategic vision
  OR
• Commonality of outlook among principal actors

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Executive Branch
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National Security Council
Principals Committee
Deputies Committee
Policy Coordinating Committee
Policy Coordinating Committee
Policy Coordinating Committee
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Defense Department
Secretary of Defense
Office of the Sec. Of Defense
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Navy
Air Force
Army
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Intelligence Community
CIA Dir. Of Central Intelligence
Defense-Controlled Agencies NSA DIA
Cabinet-Level Agencies
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State Department
Secretary of State
Bureaus 16 functional 6 regional
Embassies, Consulates, Missions
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Other Agencies
National Economic Council
U.S. Trade Representative
Department of Homeland Security